Practice Information

From 12 July 2021 we will begin the first steps in the gradual transition from our COVID SOP to our pre-covid procedures.

Staff

• Daily health monitoring will continue.

• Wearing of FRSM masks in all non clinical areas to continue.

• Current non-agp/agp clinical PPE remains unchanged.

• Clinical uniform should still be transported home in a washable bag/pillow case.

• Reception staff can revert to normal reception attire.

• Lunchtimes will remain at 40 minutes and will be staggered.

Practice Organisation & Schedule

• Partial re-opening of reception. Payments and future appointments to be processed at desk.

• Locked door policy to continue, with patients waiting outside for their appointment.

• All patients asked to attend with mask/face covering.

• Email to be sent to inform patients of these changes.

• Waiting room capacity of 2 seated and 1 at desk. Chairs should be reserved for patients waiting for second part of appointment or patients unable to wait outside.

• Surgery fans installed to provide >=10 ACH (air changes per hour)

• Fallow time will reduce to 10 minutes.

• AGP appointments to have blocks of 10 or 15 minutes added after for clean down/set-up.

• Monday afternoon opened for CN, Thursday afternoon opened for MC

• CN to maintain Wednesday afternoon off. May open adhoc for urgent treatment.

• Extra nurse on a Wednesday afternoon to provide reception & decon support - rota may change to move this position around.

• Monday afternoon - last appointment to finish for 18:00

• Tuesday-Thursday afternoon - last appointment to finish for 17:00

• Friday afternoon - last appointment to finish for 15:30

• Current zoning of Non-AGP/AGP appointments throughout the day to continue. Some non-agp can be booked early afternoon/late afternoon if patient can not attend at other times, but these should be kept to a minimum.

Hygienist

• Hygienist given flexibility to provide AGP treatment (within the normal 30 minute appointment) on a case by case basis.

• No additional fallow time will be added after hygienist appointments.

• Hygienist nurse will be responsible for management of decon room (from set-up to shut down and helping other nurses with instrument decontamination)

• Hygienist Treatment Codes

H1 / H1-DENESS - Hygienist Scale and Polish - £54

H2 - 40 minute - Hygienist Supportive Therapy - £70

H3 - 60 minute - Hygienist Supportive Treatment - £120

H-C1 - 15 minute - Child aged <14 - £27

H-C2 - 20 minute - Child aged 14-16 - £42

HIT codes/fees and descriptions remain unchanged

New Patients

• New flow chart available to help go through process

• Require £80 payment on booking, refund if cancels up to 24 hours before appointment.

• GET EMAIL

• Record how patient heard about us.

Patient Re-registration

• Records will now be archived if not attended for 5 years.

• If an archived patients wishes to make appointment, advise they need a re-registration examination - £80.

• Require £80 payment on booking as per new patient.

Patient Journey

Pre-Appointment

Advance payment no longer required

Reminders

Patients with email will receive :

2 week reminder

4 day reminder – with portal link

Patients with sms but no email will receive an automated sms reminder 2 days before.

If patients have not completed the portal the day before, they should be sent a sms portal reminder.

Patients without email or sms will receive a telephone reminder incorporating a covid pre-screen the day before.

Patient Arrival

• Locked door policy remains.

• Health checks at the door are very important especially if patient has not completed portal.

• All other arrival procedures remain unchanged.

Non-AGP Appointments

• Level of PPE (Level 2) remains unchanged.

• Continue to email ALL treatment estimates.

• After appointment, escort patient to reception for payment/booking next appointments.

• Receptionist will escort patient out of practice.

AGP Appointments

• Level of PPE (Level 3) remains unchanged.

• Treatment box system remains unchanged.

• Ensure surgery fan unit is switched on and running during AGP.

• Fallow time of 10 minutes to be calculated from cessation of AGP.

• End of appointment, patient should be escorted to reception by clinician or nurse.

• Clinician / nurse to leave surgery, remove and decontaminate FFP mask.

• Following fallow, return to surgery to perform decontamination tasks and set-up for next patient.

• Surgery floors do not require mopping after each AGP but should be performed at the end of the morning session. The cleaner will mop each evening.